Cut Christmas Trees

Treat your tree as carefully as you would treat a bouquet of fine flowers!

Make a Fresh Cut

Make a fresh cut on the butt of the tree when you get the tree home. This will open pores which have been clogged by sap. Cut off at least one-half inch. The freshly cut surface should be creamy white, not yellow or brown. If you do not make a fresh cut, the tree will not be able to absorb water. After the cut is made, put the tree in water. The longer the time between the fresh cut and when the tree is put in water, the sooner the pores clog, reducing the tree’s ability to absorb water. Even if a hole is drilled to accommodate a pin-type stand, fresh cut should be made.

Put in Water

If the tree will not be brought immediately into the home and decorated, it should be kept outside out of wind and sun with the base immersed in a pail of water. Add to this water a can of non-diet lemon-lime soda. Soda contains sugar, which aids in metabolism, and carbonation prevents bacteria from clogging pores. Before the tree is brought in the home, carefully rinse the water reservoir of the tree stand with a mixture of one tablespoon of bleach and one cup of water. This also minimizes the presence of micro-organisms that can block the tree’s ability to absorb water. Be sure your tree stand can hold at least one gallon of water. After rinsing, insert tree, and adjust. Then fill reservoir with Keeps-It-Green® Christmas tree preservative or a mixture of one gallon of water, one tablespoon of bleach and one can of non-diet lemon-lime soda.Keeps-It-Green® Christmas tree preservative stores water in a crystal form which reduces tree watering and water spillage. The crystals absorb water like a sponge and release it over an extended period of time. If you had purchased a Gunnard stand from us, please rinse it before bringing it to the nursery. We will not do that before sitting your tree in the stand.

Water Daily

Check the water level every day. Like cut flowers, cut trees continue to absorb water. An average tree may consume between a quart and a gallon of water per day. If the water level drops below the cut end of the trunk, the pores will clog, preventing the tree from absorbing water. Continue adding non-diet lemon lime soda to the water, or add Keeps-It-Green® Christmas tree preservative. If the

tree is going into an environment with very low humidity, spraying it with CloudCover® the day before moving the tree indoors will help foliage retain moisture, keeping your tree looking fresh. Wegman’s can spray your tree with CloudCover® before you take it home if you wish.

Mini-Lights Produce Minimum Heat

Miniature lights produce much less heat and reduce the lights’ drying effect upon a tree. Always check light sets for frayed or cracked wire insulation and broken sockets before placing them on a tree. Do not attempt to repair a worn light set. Throw the defective light set away and buy a new set. Always turn off the lights on your tree when leaving the house or retiring for the night.

Keep Away from Heat Sources

To further decelerate the drying of your tree, place the tree away from heat sources such as heating vents, fireplaces, wood stoves and fireplace inserts, radiators, television sets, or sunny windows. Situating your tree away from the former sources of heat in particular will also help minimize the chances of your tree catching fire. For safety’s sake, be careful not to block a door with the tree or rearranged furniture to keep doors clear for traffic.

Remove the Tree Promptly

After Christmas, and before the tree dries completely, remove it from the house for pick-up by your local disposal service or your local chipping and compost program. Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace unless it has been seasoned for a year.

Special Notes for Fire-Retarded and Flocked Trees

The chemicals used to fire-retard treesretard flame. They will not prevent your tree from erupting in flame should the tree come into contact with a significant or prolonged source of intense heat or fire. Fire-retarded trees will draw some water, so follow the above directions for keeping trees watered.

Flocked trees, on the other hand, do not draw water. Flocking also tends to retard flame, so it is generally unnecessary to undergo flame-retarding as well. If the tree is for a commercial or public building or space, however, the local Fire Marshal mandates that such trees be fire-retarded whether or not they are flocked.